Moving On, Part 2

Kept you waiting? In the past month or so, I'm on a sudden hiatus because of my schedule. From the last posting of my article talking about Allys in the (not so) new Battle for Zendikar block, I'm stuck in clearing my final examinations, preparing for my overseas trip, tying up loose ends for the MTG community I'm involved with. So... While I'm inactive here, I'm VERY active outside trying to finish up things. Now that I'm more or less settled down, let's carry on where I have left off.

First things first, I'm now in Munich, Germany! It's a fantastic place and I really love it here! Any German MTG players out there? Where do you guys play Modern events or just for fun? Any card shops to recommend? I found a few places, but I want to know from you guys!

For this article, it's more about a personal reflection. So currently, the regular readers will know I own an ally deck. But, I don't think many knows that I also pilot a Living End deck. I'm not exactly tournament proficient with it, but I do get by with a few wins here and there. The reason why I am bringing this up is that I started off the blog with the intention of blogging my trades, which then slowly shifted to talking about speculation and about my gameplay. However, somehow along the way, I lost the momentum to do gameplay blogs and just focused on speculation and occasional reviews. Well, it seems that as the time passes, I have jumped around different types of articles, trying out and experimenting what works and what do not. 

Mentioned in an earlier, and similar entry, I found what works and I will continue to develop on those as my cornerstones. However, this proved to be tougher than expected for a simple reason: I failed to look up what is already around in the web. Not specifically that I'm enclosed in my own little world, but I just failed to take into account that there are many article sites and blogs similar to this competing for the same number of people. Often, sites like MTGGoldfish, MTGPrice and even on Youtube, the Mana Source and Tolarian Community College have means and resources to upload videos or articles on the latest trends, analysis and news for the players, while I can only become what is called a second-hand resource site. I took a hiatus for a month or so for a second reason; if I am continuing to do this blog, I have to find a voice among the hundreds of articles and websites that are out there and even more on those coming out. Not that I'm discrediting anyone, including myself. The amount of work and effort to generate out an article consistently is a lot and I trust that most of you who have ever wrote an article will know how much effort and time goes into making one.

I have created a Patreon site for the blog and honestly, that was the biggest risk I have done so far in terms of this entire project. To date, I stand at $0 with no supporters. The reason is simple, there is nothing I have to show. A very good comment came up on Reddit, when I started posting there 9 months ago, mentioning that I should find something that is worth people coming to my site to read. I mentioned back then that I do have content that is worth reading and there are a few that are interesting, accordingly. But, this comment came back to hit me when I realised how my content and quality stood among the others out there when I set up the Patreon site. Yes, I know that many blogs are not funded, but honestly, the entire end point for Project: Zer0 was to fund my MTG expenditure and possibly a side income. That was the ultimate goal and reason why I started this in the first place. 

I wanted to do this article as a means of self-reflection for awhile now, but being caught up in chasing the number of views, promoting my page and trying to find a unique spot in this vast internet has made me put off this article until now. Initially, I dedicated that I have to post on average of 3-4 articles a month but as time pass, it becomes tougher to dedicate that same amount of time I could 1 year ago. Hence, I sought for the Patreon as a means of sustaining the funds required to put my mind at ease to continue doing this. Eventually this comes to a realisation that I have to continue searching something that is worth people paying me.  

Battle for Zendikar: Ally Review! [First Look!]

Consider this as a part 2 to my previous entry. Last time, I covered the first 31 Ally cards that appeared in Zendikar Block. Now, with the spoilers for Battle for Zendikar, I will be discussing the new Ally cards. This is not the [[First Look]] article. That will come later in the week. Again, support cards will not be discussed. I want to do that as a [[Flash!]] article later down the pipeline.

Before I proceed the review, I will not be discussing the Finance aspect for Commons and Uncommons unless I see a reason to. With that out of the way, let's start off the review. 

	Angelic Captain Card Review: What I personally think is that she is a draft bomb and as well as a strong contender for constructed. However, I personally will not be using her due to her relatively high mana cost. At 5 mana, it's going to take a lot more to convince me to slot her into my deck. Finance Current price tag for her is at $0.50 on TCGmid. While I personally think that an Ally deck will see play in both standard and modern constructed, I don't think this will fall into the latter and even if in play for standard, the deck may not use her as a 4-off.
	Angel of Renewal Card Review: Maybe a good pick in limited if we are going Ally deck in the drafts or sealed. Damn... I'm going to be missing one hell of a pre-release :( 6 mana for a 4/4 flyer is decent already. With the additional ETB is just sweet for late game. Gaining that few life off her can help break tempo for your opponents. On the topic of lifegain, she is nowhere near Ondu Cleric level of powerful. Because of that I'll pass this for the old clerics instead.
	Beastcaller Savant Card Review: This is a hard one. It has a strong contender for being one of the best mana ramps. If only he didn't have the clause "spend this mana to only cast an Ally" oh wait! creatures! As in any creatures! I kind of liking this guy and will throw a 2-4 off in to fix my deck. But only 1 issue. Harabaz Druid gives a better ramp and enables the mana to be spent. Personally, I want both. I'm greedy. But, this guy has HASTE! The first mana dork with f'king HASTE! He is definitely and will be a constructed staple. Finance Harabaz Druid is a $3.00 as I'm writing this article. I personally think he is a better mana ramp than Beastcaller. Beastcaller on the other hand, fixes mana better. And while he is an Ally card, the notable clause is that the mana can be spent on any creatures. He's basically an Ancient Ziggurat on a stick. Looking at the prices, Ancient Ziggurat is about $5-$6. The mana dorks in standard also seems to be in that price range as well. From there, I can assume that the bare minimum of the price for this card would be $4 -$6. I'm not surprised if he hits $8 during his time in standard. Eldrazis may be colourless, but they definitely need ramps. This + Rattleclaw Mystic will definitely see play in standard!
	Bloodbond Vampire Card Review: I'll pass on this one. 4 mana 3/3 is bare average. Double black symbols means taxing to splash colour. Her condition to grow larger is to gain life. Well, we do have Ally cards that gain life and we do have more in this set, but that sets up an entirely different synergy from the old Ally cards. I'm not too sure where to fit her in. The vampire tribal decks if there any? Lifegain decks like soul sisters? Ally decks which nets lifegain and have her as a beatstick? There are options, but they won't be explored much.
	Chasm Guide Card Review: I'll pass on this one as well. 4 mana for 3/2 is worse that the prior. Only plus side is that he gives everyone haste whenever an Ally ETB. Not really a useful effect to be honest. SKIP!
	Cliffside Lookout Card Review: I did get what i want... another 1 mana Ally creature card. But, the abilities are total crap in constructed. 5 mana for an anthem effect, it is more for limited format. I really don't mind it being a rare and being able to pump it with just 2 mana or something, but 5 mana is just outrageously expensive. So even if that is the second 1-mana Ally card, I'll hard-pass on this one.
	Coralhelm Guide Card Review: I'll pass on this one as well. Similar to Cliffside Lookout, the activation cost for its otherwise sweet ability is too high. If the cost is just 1 or 2 mana lower, She can be considered for constructed. But for now, She's more for limited format. Also, the stats are rather poor and if we are looking in constructed, she die to pretty much anything.
	Drana, Liberator of Malakir Card Review: Now we come to another playable Ally card. Drana is a 3 mana for 2/3 stats, flying, first strike. She is considerably strong just like that. Only draw back is that her double black symbol requirement is quite taxing for splashes into more than 1-2 colours. Her second ability is given her an extra boot to be considered in Mono-Black or main black aggro strategies in constructed and maybe in EDH as a general as well. The note is the ability pumps each attacking creature. So this means that non-Ally creatures gets the buff as well. In addition, She herself gets the benefits. Finance Current price on TCG Mid is about $11-$12. I don't expect it to hold on to that price tag for long. Maybe at a $3 price tag upon the release party week, with the foils varying on the casual/EDH demand. I'll definitely be picking up 2 copies of her.
	Drana's Emissary Card Review: This card is not bad by all means. 3 mana for 2/2 flying is okay I guess. But, it's not a card that may see play in Modern. I don't know, the more I look at the cards, the more they are pushing Ally into the B/W colours with lifegain/lifeloss mechanic in them. If that variant of creature decks comes out, sure, this will be included as the effects are stackable. But, in the current form of decks I see for Ally, I won't consider it as this is too slow to make any considerable impact in Modern or in Standard. Note that Modern decks can end games in turns 4-5 consistently, whereas Standard now has Eldrazis. Go figure.
	Firemantle Mage Card Review: This is actually not bad. I admit i overlooked this card when I first looked at the spoilers. Potentially, this card is a pseudo-unblockable ability for all Ally cards. No really, the more I look into this card, the more I'm starting to like this card. We have to know that the biggest problem in Ally decks have is the pushing of the last bit of damage and as well as escape bolt range. This helps in the first part. the latter? Let's just say the support cards are needed here. But, other than that, this actually does help in many ways as you thwart blocking strategies.
	Grovetender Druids Card Review: Not sure where this card first. I'm not even sure how this card helps in any of the decks. Probably in limited where you have the extra mana to improve board state? Other than that, I'll pass on this one.
	Halimar Tidecaller Card Review: Another card that I'm confused with the identity of the card. It doesn't help the tribe in any way, the man lands in this set is not yet significant unless you play Nissa, Worldwaker or the Awaken mechanic. Basically, she is not an Ally card per say. She will fit better in decks playing lands.
	Hero of Goma Fada Card Review: Very viable game ender. Giving everyone indestructible is nightmare to deal with. However, at 5 mana, The clock in modern is very risky to play this. I'm not saying this is unplayable. It is fringe playable actually. Only for the fact it gives everyone indestructible. Also at a 4/3 states, it's just a little disappointing. if it were a 3/4 states, Everything changes. Finance Currently, it's holding at around $0.50. As mentioned, this is fringe playable. Even if it appears in standard, I'm not too sold in this being a 4-off in decks. This would probably stay in the bulk bin.
	Kalastria Healer Card Review: A lot of talk on this as a combo deck with Rally the Ancestors and the shenanigans like march from the tomb and stuff. I'm not sure if that will work out, but just keep an eye on it. The good thing on this card is that the trigger happens for every Ally card ETB. So this can work well in several Ally strategies. Personally, I'm not really keen as my deck is aggro-strategy. It would suit better for combo shells.
	Kalastria Nightwatch Card Review: Another life-gaining Ally which is selfish... Next! Oh, wait. Correction: Lifegain effect Ally which does nothing other than abusing the Rally triggers of other allies, but it doesn't contribute. Good or bad, it really depends on your deck. As a creature by itself, it is quite decent in limited. Not a bomb, but it's just so-so kind of decent.
	Kor Bladewhirl Card Review: I'm just going to say that an army of first strike creatures is scary. 2 mana splashable with 2/2 body is good as well. Not a bad card overall. Personally, I'll pass this for Kazandu Blademaster.
	Kor Castigator Card Review: Uhm... 2 mana Ally for a 3/1 body? Pass... The rest is useless more or less. (Modern Perspective)
	Kor Entanglers Card Review: 5 mana for 3/4 is stretching on the curve. I thought that it is bad, but it makes up for the abilities. This one taps out a creature opponent control. And the best part is that this triggers for every Ally entering the battlefield. It's good in limited. But anywhere else, I don't think it would be that viable.
	Ondu Cleric Lantern Scout Card Review: When this card is first spoilt, I went bananas! Finally a Talus Paladin upgrade that is Coco-able! It's not exactly a direct upgrade or "strictly better". It's just playable with Collected Company. If your deck is not running Collected Company (it should!) for whatever reasons, Talus Paladin is actually better. Finance Like all Ally cards, this one will be under the radar. It's currently $0.75 on TCG Mid. It will stay that way for awhile.
	Makindi Patrol Card Review: I love the art and flavour of this card. Patrol = Vigilance. Nice one! Abilities? Giving all vigilance is something; having able to attack and block at the same time is really sweet! Will I play it? Probably, but I have better options. This is playable in limited and maybe in Standard Ally decks.
	Munda, Ambush Leader Card Review: A great card! This was a serious contender for my deck as a 2-off because how well it synergises with collected company. 3/4, Haste for 4 mana is okay I guess. But, the sweet deal is that this card triggers for every Ally ETB trigger, so this allows you to set-up your deck for the next few turns. It's quite essential and more important than you will admit it is actually. That's why Serum Visions is $10 or something like that. (Also cos Preordian/Ponder is banned.) Finance Bulk rare status sadly. But keep an eye on this card if there is a Boros or Naya Ally deck out there in standard.
	Nirkana Assassin Card Review: A card for limited. Another lifegain card.. hais... Pass.
	Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper Card Review: I get the idea of a synergy with this, Halimar Tidecaller, awaken spells and probably Nissa, Worldwaker as a deck. Looking at that aspect, it's probably a causal deck at best. The other way to look at it is that unless those land-based decks which brings out man-lands or sorts as their main win condition, this likely to be a limited bomb and pretty much like that as it is. Finance Likely to be bulk rare. Unless land decks are a thing in Constructed.
	Ondu Champion Card Review: 1 more mana, and we get the better Kazuul Warlord... So...
	Reckless Cohort Card Review: Not exactly anything fantastic. Good filler for limited only. Pass.
	Resolute Blademaster Card Review: Getting the abilities like flying, double strike, vigilance is fine, but if that's all the card does, it really pushes it to a "no" zone. It's really hard to consider this card given that it is at 5 mana for a 2/2 creature which only gives double strike to everyone, which is cool don't get me wrong, but it doesn't scream out anything more. 5 mana in the same colour gives us better Allies than this. even the 4 mana one as mentioned earlier is slightly better at what it does for the mana cost.
	Serene Steward Card Review: Okay, so if I were to consider another archetype of lifegain/lifeloss in within the ally tribe, then yes, maybe we want cards like this. All I'm saying that prove to me that there is a viability of the deck and all of these cards that mentioned "whenever you gain life" will get more attention. Heck, if Soul Sisters deck does end up using any of those cards, it's game on for these cards. As a card, it is a bear. The best it gives the boost in the scaling damage that some decks need.
	Shatterskull Recruit Card Review: 5 mana 4/4 near-vanilla, almost unblockable. Pass.
	Skyrider Elf Card Review: So basically this is a 2 mana 2/2 flyer at worst. If you have more mana to dump and have ways to tick up the counters as the same for the other creatures, knock yourself out. Personally I don't this in favour that I won't easily hit the 3rd colour and beyond in a game. Even if I do hit them by then, either this card is on the battlefield earlier than expected, or it's just very taxing on the mana base. It's not a bad card actually. If you happen to play this card, do consider this card.
	Tajuru Beastmaster Card Review: Ahh... Finally!!! the old mechanic, which is now termed Rally. The frustrating thing is that I really don't want another vanilla Tarmogoyf-like creature that just grows. The old set gave us a ton of them and I assure you, it's really quite a substantial number. Also, this is really high in the curve. What to expect, this is a 6 mana 6/6 creature. So obviously it's a curve ender. But, will it see constructed? I doubt so.
	Tajuru Stalward Card Review: You know how I was saying do consider Skyrider Elf? Don't do this for this card. That is much much better.
	Tajuru Warcaller Card Review: It's fine if you have an ideal scenario of Allies ETB every turn, making it a 4/3. But, realistically, when you are hitting to that mana curve in constructed or in limited. your 5 mana cards better make more impact than this. Pass.
	Veteran Warleader Card Review: When this is spoilt, it is really controversial to me. On one hand, it is almost the same Rally mechanic I wanted with the other abilities and trust me, if that is true, it's an auto 2-3 off in my deck.  However, this card is not. It grows with the board and can be easily manipulated. I got 1 for my deck but I took it out eventually when the full spoiler was released. The second ability is awesome, but as I said, you need a decent board state. Also, If you are playing Ally in those colours and if you are not winning with a good board state, there is something wrong. Finance It is decent on paper, but personally, I think it belongs to where it is now; in the dollar bin.
	Zada, Hedron Grinder Card Review: Firstly, it's a Goblin. Secondly it can function without the Ally tribe. I personally think the Ally tribe to it is wasted. Not that having the clause: "other Ally creatures you control" will be better, but him as an Ally is rather wasted. In an Ally deck, he can contribute, but like what a lot of discussions have mentioned, he is better in a goblin deck. Finance The best given is that he would be at around $1-$2 upon game day. I'm not sure how EDH players will react to him as a commander, but as a goblin in Modern? I'm not too sure if there is a need for him. Maybe some sort of home-brew we have yet to see?
	Zulaport Cutthroat Card Review: This card works well thanks to the "creature you control" clause. This means you are not just restricted to Ally creatures, but basically you can use this as a combo piece and that + Kalastria Healer can make up for some serious threat. Likely this may fall into the route of the Rally the Ancestors deck shenanigans. Again, this works better in combo-variants. Aggro decks won't have a use for it.

In the flavour of Ally cards, I'm really confused in how come the mechanics differ so much from the individual cards. On one hand, we have Rally, which is what we know Ally is all about. On the other, we have these... 

Seriously, are we in the horizon to see these cards becoming an inclusion for Soul Sisters deck or a 2.0 version of the deck? I'm not sold on the concept of gaining incredible amount of life just because Felidar Soverign is reprinted. If that works that way, Why not just leave them out without the Ally tribal? Nevermind.

The looks of this is two-fold. One, sure we are getting more utility, but those genuinely useful ones are cmc 3 and up! Which is not ideal for aggro strategies. Maybe midrange Ally decks would find it useful. For me, There are some up for consideration, but I really don't think most will make the cut as solid replacements other than the handful as I discussed.

In finance perspective, the card with most potential I think would be Drana, Liberator of Malikar. I personally think that she has the best potential to be the most expensive Ally to date. The price will definitely drop due to supply and demand, but I think she has the potential to be seen in constructed play the most out of all the Ally.

Okay, of course I'm neglecting Beastcaller Savant. He is without a doubt a Birds of Paradise, or Sylvan Caryatid 2.0. He definitely will see play in constructed for the mana dork that he is. But, the only draw back is that he has ancient ziggurat stapled onto him, so Rattleclaw Mystic has potential and will be a close fight between them to be the mana dork in standard till the next rotation. Hence, I didn't mention him in my previous paragraph.

Okay, this is a long enough article as it is. Come back as I go down the countdown of my top 10 picks in BFZ! Trust me, it's not hard for this set.


Edit:

Experdition Envoy

Card Review:

Missed out this card in my review. Honestly, there is nothing to talk about this card. Fragile body but at a 1 mana cost. It doesn't grow like how Hada Freeblade does or give a bonus ability or effect like Cliffside Lookout. Pass...

Oh, if you like what you see in the blog, be it this article or in previous content, Please help support using Patreon!

Ulamog. The infinite pain in the butt with an appetite..

So this has been spoiled a couple of weeks back:

Well done recreating a powerful Eldrazi Titan. It's just splendid. It looks aggressive, as well as powerful in its shear size. It demands to be noticed and it doesn't look to be trifled with. Overall, in design, it looks awesome, but eerily familiar from something.

Wait, on closer look, it looks like Deoxys in Pokemon had an offspring with the Predator? I mean like before this, the Ulamog we know has a helmet on? Now it revealed its helmet?. The new Ulamog seems to have mandibles which reminds me of the Predator or even an insect. Now let's look at the old art:

Tell me that doesn't look like a helmet now. Also, noticed that there is an inclusion of a white exoskeleton? The more I look and think about it, the more I really think Ulamog may actually be an insect.

Alright unfunny jokes aside, let's compare between the two variants of Ulamog and see which is a better card overall. For the comparison below, Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre will be codenamed UIG, and Ulamog, the ceaseless hunger is codenamed UCH

• Base Stats, casting cost
• Both Ulamogs have the same P/T and 10/10. 
• UIG requires you to have 11 mana, whereas UCH is 10 mana. It's 1 mana lesser than the former, which is more mana efficient based on the base stats alone. Point in Favor to UCH.
• Abilities

Ulamog, Infinite Gyre	Ulamog, Ceaseless Hunger
Destroy target Permanent	Exile 2 target permanents
Indestructible	Indestructible
Annihilator 4	Exiles top 20 cards of library
shuffle into library from graveyard

• It is not really a clear-cut answer as to say which is a better Ulamog. Personally I vote that the older UIG Ulamog is a bit stronger than the newer UCH overall. 
• UIG destroys a permanent, but UCH exiles 2. Point in favor to UCH.
• Both UIG and UCH are indestructible. Draw.
• Annihilator 4 is definitely stronger ability compared to exiling 20 cards. Although looking at drafts or sealed, UCH takes the cake. But, in most other cases in constructed, the Annihilator 4 places an immediate effect on the board state. Point in favor to UIG.
• UIG has 4 abilities as compared to UCH's 3 abilities. This can defend the 1 mana extra cost for UIG. The ability which mirrors Elixir of Immortality, just without the lifegain. Point in favor to UIG.
• In most constructed format, getting rid of UIG is more difficult than UCH due to its last ability. Excluding exile abilities, -X/-X abilities/effects won't get rid of UIG permanently. Whereas UCH is stuck in the graveyard. That being said, Grave strategies will favor UCH, but most reanimator strategies already have something else to play. Maybe a new deck brew? Point in favor to UIG until Ulamog, Ceaseless Hunger shows that grave strategies with it is a viable thing.

Hence, in summary this is a short explanation as to why I think Ulamog, Infinite Gyre is a little bit better than the new iteration of itself. Don't get me wrong though, the new iteration is an absolute beast on its own and it can and will hold itself alongside with the original 3 Eldrazi Titans' iteration. I think we may not see the other 2 in this set. But, if we are, I'll be comparing them as how I did with Ulamog. 

Now I have given you my thoughts, which Ulamog is better? Infinite Gyre or Ceaseless Hunger? Discuss in the comments and let me know what you think!

Finally, if you liked this article and/or my work, please consider to support me on Patreon! Help me in my endeavors to improve the blog to make it bigger and better! Thanks!

https://www.patreon.com/mtgprojectzero?ty=h&alert=2

3 Cards to look out for prior Battle for Zendikar Release! [Flash!]

I'm just going straight to the point here. Three cards to keep a lookout over the next 2-3 weeks. The price spikes for these cards are happening or may have happened, but they may continue to grow if my punts are right.

	See the Unwritten - Ferocious Seeing how the new Eldrazis are rolling out, See the unwritten is a very attractive card to have in a deck with so many targets and critters to choose, This will definitely be a new archetype or upgrading the current decks running this card if it is already prominent in Standard Constructed.  Plus, having Ferocious mechanic on it just made it sweeter for the BFZ block. Speculated Price: $15-$20 at its peak
	Animist's Awakening - Landfall With Landfall returning, I would expect this card to actually make it into its own deck in Standard Constructed. At the moment now, it seems clunky and weird playing this that if you have that much mana to make an impact using this card, you would probably be better off play See the Unwritten or Genesis Wave.However, if this set has great landfall abilities, then this card will be an all-star. At the moment now, I'll say this is not something to delve in too deep as a spec, but keep an very close eye on it. Speculated Price: $3-5.
	KTK + ZEN Fetchlands - Search for... / Landfall With the new duals released, that's one more target these fetches can target into. The usability of these fetches has just gone up! Expect demands to be growing once BFZ rolls in. Also, with the Zendikar Fetches now spiked to unbelievable prices, they are the best replacements or inclusions to decks with budget or just need a fetchland to grab that particular colour. Speculated Price: $25-$35 at its peak, Depending on Fetchland

Honorable Mentions:

• Harabaz Druid - Ally
  
  
  
  As mentioned in my previous article, this card is an extremely powerful mana dork if left unchecked and it can potentially summon Eldrazi easily. Yes, it is not in Standard, and it may be a hype over the BFZ expansion. Still, it has already spiked $4.00. It may still grow if the Ally deck breaks out in the Modern format. But, nevertheless, if you have managed to acquire some of this card and are not using, why not sell? Though it has room to grow, $4 for this card is really pushing it and having acquiring them before the spike at $0.50, that's a $3.50 or a 700% profit margin right there! In short, Look to sell this card if you don't need it!

There are many and I really mean many cards to lookout for. But, these are top 3 cards that I can think of as an immediate discussion. Sure, these choices are not really ground-breaking, but I still think they are good picks to voice out and just let the others know.





Edited, 2nd september 2015: Formatting corrected

Ally Tribe. An underrated contender in Modern

Recently, I have been more active in the Tappedout forums discussing in the topic of the Ally tribe in their Primer build.

My Modern 5c Ally Blitz deck: Collected Alliance

Just to let you know, I have been playing this deck in my local game stores' events and I can quite consistently go 2-1 overall. Sometimes I can go 2-0 with the last game split with the opponent. I usually give the win so I won't count.

Since on the topic of allies, I realised there are no articles discussing the power level, finance and playability of the different allies from the original Zendikar block. Hence, I have decided to come up with this article discussing their play viability in constructed and which ally card potentially has a chance to see a spike when BFZ block comes out and suddenly, modern is a viable card.

Currently, there are 31 Allies in the gatherer list, including the new . I'll be strictly reviewing the Ally creature cards in the Original Zendikar Block. So things like Changelings or other spells that produces ally creatures won't be included. Without further-ado, let's begin!

	Agadeem Occultist Modern Playability: Low - Medium.  Decent mana cost, but the mechanic is slow isn't impact-ful enough to turn or win games. It's best in EDH or casual play. P/T is also very low. Finance It won't see anything more than $1.00 when BFZ rolls around. It's very hard to abuse the card without a good board-state. But, hey if you are having a decent board state, why are you still needing this card? Sure Modern has a lot of cards costing 1-3 mana as the most probable CMC. But, it's not that viable to just keep taking things which doesn't help the ally board-state. Who knows, unless you are playing it as a control deck, then it may help. May. Until we can make use of this card in a decent control deck, I'm leaning for it to be a bulk rare.
	Akoum Battlesinger Modern Playability: Medium - High.  Decent mana cost to its ability. It is only good in an aggressive shell. Finance It is a common card, so there is a maximum ceiling to what it can hit. Still, 2 mana for 2/1 most of the time is okay, but not back-breaking. It's a decent card that gives a small anthem effect which is often overlooked, but it is still quite good for 2 mana.
	Bala Ged Thief Modern Playability: Low Bad casting cost to its mechanic. It works well in multiple triggers, but other than that, it's not as good as it seems. Finance It won't see any play in modern. Bulk rare. Skip
	Bojuka Brigand Modern Playability: Medium Decent mana cost to its ability. It is only good in an aggressive shell. Only drawback is that it cannot block Finance It is a common card, so there is a maximum ceiling to what it can hit. It is good for what it does, but it has serious competition with at least 4 other cards with the same CMC ability. It won't have a crazy spike in any way.
	Graypelt Hunter Modern Playability: Low  Decent finisher for an ally, not counting other support cards. It's slightly high mana cost to its decent 3/3 body is good enough for a strong finisher if left unchecked. Finance It is a common card, so there is a maximum ceiling to what it can hit. It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good.
	Hada Free Blade Modern Playability: High.  Best used in an aggressive shell. But, its extremely low cmc to its effect makes it ideal for a Ally-tribe-only Tarmogoyf. It scales very well as more allys comes into play Finance There is a good chance this can break the $2.00 mark if ally deck does breakout in modern. It's extremely low cost for a scaling ability that makes it strong in late game. It's currently the only 1-mana ally card. So, it will see fit in most ally decks requiring a cheap 1-drop to fill the curve.
	Hagra Diabolist Modern Playability: Low  High mana cost for its potentially abusive ability. Resolving this for 2 turns can actually close games. But, the drawback is its weak P/T. Finance It screams to be broken in a deck, but its high mana cost at 5 and weak body makes it not an ideal pick in Modern.
	Halimar Excavator Modern Playability: Low  It is good for casual games. If it is seriously to be considered for modern play, a lot of effort is required to make it work. Trust me I have tried it. Finance Best in casual play. Not ideal for modern. Skip.
	Harabaz Druid Modern Playability: Medium - High  Decent mana ramp for ally deck. It's crazily good in late game and by itself can give you a deep mana sink which you can easily empty your hand. It's weak P/T and summoning sickness are the only drawback for this otherwise awesome mana dork. Finance At the point of writing this article, it spiked to $1.80 before breaking to $4.00. I'm guessing it's a hype thing, but it does have potential to break the $5 mark if it really breaks out in modern. If all else fails, it should settle back to around $1-$2. But, now it's still too early to tell. It is one of the cards that has potential for a third spike.
	Highland Beserker Modern Playability: Low It is good in an aggressive shell. But it does not give much other than First Strike. While the ability is good and does help prevent or changes blocking/attacking strategies, the card itself has a relatively low P/T. It's decent, but not that good overall as it has serious competition with Akoum Battlesinger. Finance It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good at all.
	Joraga Bard Modern Playability: Low  Similar to Highland Beserker, it's good to give all Vigilance but it honestly doesn't help in the boardstate as much as we all think. It's definitely better than First Strike in most cases, but 4 mana for it is not exactly appealing. Finance It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good at all.
	Jwari Shapeshifter Modern Playability: Medium.  The Phantasmal Image of the ally tribe. It's good in what it does and when it works. But, there are times which this card fails miserably. Finance Currently, it's holding at around $1.00 after a small spike at the point of writing. It has the potential to go up to $2-$3. But, I'm not counting on it to be anything more than $3. Phantasmal Image is potentially strictly better choice in most cases.
	Kabira Evangel Modern Playability: High.  One of the best 3-drop we have in the tribe. Gives everyone protection basically just win games Finance Currently, it's holding at around $0.50 after a small spike at the point of writing. It has the potential to go up to $3-$4 if the deck breaks out. It will be a 4-off in most variants of decks playing Ally.
	Kazandu Blademaster Modern Playability: High Low mana cost for 3 abilites is a steal. It's mostly a 2 mana for 2/2, First Strike, Vigilance. It's the best 2-drop for aggressive shells and will scale quickly if left unchecked. Finance Similar to Hada Freeblade, this is in my radar to potentially break the $2 mark if Ally decks become a thing. It scales and curve very well with Hada freeblade in the same deck.
	Kazuul Warlord Modern Playability: Low It is good in an aggressive or a midrange shell as a finisher. Its relatively low P/T and lack of trample are the things limiting it to be a first-pick in constructed. But, solely based on the ally creature pool, this has massive potential to be a late-game anthem. Only issue is that once we look at other support cards, this falls flat. Finance It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good at all. It will still be a bulk rare, but likely to hover around $1.
	Makindi Shieldmate Modern Playability: Low  Great if you want a good blocker. But in Modern format, we need more than just shields. Finance Not ideal for modern. Skip.
	Murasa Pyromancer Modern Playability: Low  Terrible mana cost to P/T ratio. Decent ability however, but the biggest drawback is that it only hits creatures. Finance If this hits players and if it is 4 mana cost, it can be a serious contender. But, in most cases, Hagra Diabolist is strictly better to win most games.
	Nimana Sell-Sword Modern Playability: Low  Tough competition with 3-4 other cards doing the same thing for much cheaper rate. Bust. Finance Not ideal for modern. Skip.
	Ondu Cleric Modern Playability: Medium  Decent mana cost to its ability. It is only good to prolong matches. But, solely itself, it's very easily removed. I personally won a lot of games thanks to this card. It's stupidly good when it works, but it will fall flat if it doesn't. Actually, the worst is spending 2 mana to get 1 life. That's not actually that bad in some cases. Finance It is a common card, so there is a maximum ceiling to what it can hit. It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good at all.
	Oran-Rief Survivalist Modern Playability: Medium.  Decent mana cost for what it does. A less powerful Hada Freeblade and Kazandu Blademaster. But it is still decent. Finance It is a good card, but we won't see spikes from this card.
	Sea Gate Loremaster Modern Playability: Low It's actually crazy good if you have the right board. But, in most cases, it's just aiming to be removed before you get to draw. Finance Bulk rare status. It won't really be a serious contender unless a control version of ally deck comes out.
	Seascape Aerialist Modern Playability: Low  Over First Strike and Vigilance, this actually does help win games. Only thing is the mana cost and low P/T. Finance It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good at all.
	Stonework Puma Modern Playability: None  Trust me when I say no deck will play this. Finance It's a bad card. Like really bad. Bust.
	Tajuru Archer Modern Playability: Low  Opposite of Murasa Pyromancer. This instead has a relatively lower cost, but it hits only flying creatures. It's not something that we need in most games. For most cases, the best is still to direct the damage to players. Even in possible control shells, we would have other stuff to use to deal with the creatures instead. Finance Not really a good card. Bust
	Talus Paladin Modern Playability: Medium Decent P/T body and ability for its mana cost. It can work as a finisher and this card can grow stupidly big if left unchecked. Lifelink for all here is just a cherry on top in late game. It won't win games immediately, but it can change games. Finance It has potential to be a good curve-ender. But, the decks will mostly play 1-2 off if its being played. Likely to be still in bulk rare though.
	Tuktuk Grunts Modern Playability: Low  A little high mana cost for what it does. Akoum Battlesinger is better. But, this grows overtime. But at that turn, I rather be doing other things. Finance It is a common card, so there is a maximum ceiling to what it can hit. It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good.
	Tuktuk Scrapper Modern Playability: Low  Decent ability against the meta. It's an affinity hate that deals damage to player? Yes please. Finance 1-off in sideboard at most due to meta. Hence, don't expect it to spike. Also, it's 4-mana so its still relatively expensive still.
	Turntimber Ranger Modern Playability: Medium  A bit on the high end of the mana curve. But, this has potential to be broken with infinite combos. However, at the moment now the combo is a little too clunky Finance If there is a chance for the combo to be broken and abused, then it will see a price increase. However for now, it will still be in the bulk rare price.
	Umara Raptor Modern Playability: Low - Medium  Decent mana cost to its ability. It is only good in an aggressive shell. It's a good 3-mana drop with decent scaling. But, it could be better. Finance It is a common card, so there is a maximum ceiling to what it can hit. It's not a bad card, but neither is it actually good.
	Vastwood Animist Modern Playability: Low Low P/T, weak ability overall. No. It's not a good card to Consider. Finance It is not decent nor even playable in constructed.

Long story short, keep a lookout for the white ally cards, as well as Harabaz Druid. It also makes sense when we see the first 3 spoilers for support in the ally tribe:

Do you see where this is going? The best bet is that if Modern Ally is a real thing, the base shell of the deck will be in Green/White colours. That's the main reason for looking and keeping track of the green and white cards as priority. 

Also, as mentioned, Hada Freeblade, Kazandu Blademaster, Harabaz Druid and Kabira Evangel are good cards for the casting cost and abilities. Hence, these are the cards that I will be taking a closer look.

Looking at the recent BFZ spoilers, it seems that that the new creatures won't really be getting the +1/+1 counters as to the old counterparts from Zendikar. The mechanic have now officially been named Rally. But, we would see better ability support from the new Allies.

Vetaran Warleader is the closest that we have for a strong 3-drop for ally in replacement for some of the older allies with the older mechanic, and Gideon looks promising as an ally support Planeswalker. Hero of Goma Fada is too expensive for modern play though. I'll review them more if they happen to be in my top 10 picks in a future BFZ First Look article.